I want to take this day that we Americans have set aside for giving thanks to extend my gratitude to all of the people who inspire and motivate me each day. By listing my Edublog Award Nominations, I am only able to honor a very small percentage of those who make me feel that teaching is the best job in the world. This made the task a very daunting one. There were several categories for which I could have listed pages of people, and many people who enrich my life but do not fit into a single category. So, I am going to stick to a few categories that seemed to have some clear stand-outs in my world this year.
Best Teacher Blog: Not Just Child’s Play – I am probably going to nominate this blog every year for the rest of my life. Ms. Trayers is so creative, and guides her students into creating the most amazing work. I read every blog post with fascination, and usually find some way to integrate her ideas into my own classroom. It is obvious that she loves her job and loves her students.
Best Podcast: The 2 Guys Show – Drew Minock and Brad Waid create such a wonderful, playful show every Tuesday at 8 PM CST. It is chock full of information, their guests are always fascinating, and the camaraderie between these co-workers makes them fun to watch, or listen to, weekly.
Best Administrator Blog: Adjusting Course by Brad Gustafson – Brad was recently on The 2 Guys Show (where he played the best Augmented Reality practical joke ever), and was one of the leaders involved in yesterday’s featured video. His energy and love for his students comes through in every thing that he does.
Best Student Blog: Social Media Education by Paige Woodard – Don Wettrick (also a recent guest on The 2 Guys Show) tweeted about one of Paige’s blog posts, recently, and I read it with fascination. She is a senior in high school with astounding eloquence and voice. Whatever this young woman does in the future, I hope that it involves writing, as she does it very well.
Best Librarian Blog – The Van Meter Library Voice – Shannon McClintock Miller rocks. And, yes, she was interviewed on The 2 Guys Show, too!
Best Tweeter – Margaret Powers (@mpowers3) – This tech coordinator from Pennsylvania always shares fabulous resources with her tweets. I love seeing her in my stream because I know I’m about to learn something new. She hasn’t been on The 2 Guys Show – but she should be!
Most Influential Blog Post – “I am Me, and I Can’t Be You” by Todd Nesloney – Todd was chosen as one of the White House Champions of Change and has a resume about a mile long. This particular post, though, reminded me how important it is to find your own voice in your teaching. Trying to do all of the great things you might read that other people are doing will be a disservice to your students if you are not passionate about them. And, oh, yes, Todd has been on The 2 Guys Show, as well!
